Thread: 2006 Toyota Rav4 - In-dash Carputer

Dash installation kit & 7" touch screen


Mounting apart the screen


Modifying the dash installation kit with some fiberglass


The original stereo - to be replaced


Unmounting the original stereo


Test mounting in the car (painting not finished yet)


Building something to mount the motherboard on and circuit boards for the screen


Screen in place and Windows 7 installed


This is how it looks like when RideRunner is installed and running


And a picture of the hdd and motherboard mounting


Uncertain if it will fit into the dash as it is or if I might have built too deep, especially the vga connector takes some additional space. Have to try it out in the car the coming days.

Was out in the car today and tested to mount the pc, and it hit some cables and a stag when the vga cable was connected. Had not measured the depth good enough, but it can possibly be fixed by modifying the vga connector whish is rather long. An angled vga connector would be good.
While testing it hit me why I don't build in the motherboard, hdd, etc into th glove compartment where I will place the new head unit. It's rather big and I actually don't need the space in it, I have a second compartment just in top of it. Well have to give it a second thought at least. Have to play along a little more with Ride Runner as well to find out how much I can customize the look and feel and also the functionality. As well as finding some additional software such as navigation (gps), planning to use XPort at least to split up the gps com port, and enable logging. For ODB2 software I will probably go for DashCommand, have to check out a little bit of it's capabilities and how well it is compliant with my OBD2 interface (at least it seems to be working with it).

Here is how it looked like mounted in the car

I decided to take away the buttons for the screen (power on, volume, menu, source) and fill the holes. I still left a small opening for the IR, if there will be a need for changings any settings.

Lately I have been thinking of how to power the PC in the car, mostely I have been using parts for the PC that I already had. In the test bench at home I have been using a Morex PSU and an AC-DC adapter that came with the PSU (and chassis). I think I will continue to use the Morex PSU and complement with a CarNetix DC-DC regulator.

Here is the result of plugging the buttons

Did some more precise measuring of how much space I do have behind the touch screen, and found out that it is 18cm. Just enough for a 17cm mini itx board but not really enough for the cabling like vga, usb, etc. What I probably will have to do is rotate the mini itx board and have the cabling to either side, where there is some more space. Have to plan a little bit before I start to cut holes in the dash kit frame. Although there might be a possibility to fit the cabling at the back as well if the mother board is placed as low as possible. As can be seen in the image below it is the cable harness and the stag that limits the depth to 18cm. but below the stag there is about 2cm more space.

Metal stag and cable limiting the depth to 18cm behind the touch screen


Measuring the depth


Some space for cabling at each side, behind the side panels


Measuring the depth

Yes I have considered putting the MB at different angles, and it could help a little. Currently testing out different possibilities on how to place the MB, and also cheking for alternative locations for the computer like the glove compartment or under the front seats. I woold have a lot of space in the trunk under the floor, there is a rather large compartment. But I would like to avoid sunch long cables.

The dash looks more tight on the images, than it is. Looking at the dash install kit from the bottom, you can se in the image below that it adds about 5cm's (that comes forward from the air conditioner controls).

As can also been seen I have build a very temporary "box" behind the dash kit to see how much does fit in behind.

Some more stuff arrived today Basically now it is only time that is lacking to put everything together. But soon the weekend is here and I plan to start looking at the wiring part in the car and how to mount the new head unit, that arrived today, in the glove compartment.

The new head unit - Pioneer DVH-P4100UB


Adapter for steering wheel controls, CA-R-PI.201, and cable harness


DC-DC regultaor from mini-box.com and morex PSU


And a small Bluetooth dongle

what made you decide to put the MB in-dash as opposed to under the seat in a case in or mounted somewhere else besides the obvious alleviating wire management nightmares

no particular reason more than i thought it would be convinient and cool to try have most of it in one unit. Also try to make an installation that needs as little midifcation on the car interior as possible.

It's rather tight uner the the front seats as well, tried with a morex mini-itx case that I have. It fit's but would be rather tight, but if the in-dash mount will some how not fit then under the seat is my back up plan.